Why did détente end in a second Cold War

The USSR’s reasons for détente

1. The USSR needed better relations with the US as it’s economy was stagnating. In order to deal with its economic problems, and also to improve the standard of living for Soviet citizens, it needed to be able to transfer economic resources from the production of armaments to the production of consumer goods. It would also be able to import new technologies from the West

2. The USSR’s relationship with China was deteriorating. The Sino-Soviet split resulted in war in 1969, and it was now crucial for the USSR to keep China isolated from the West by seeking for itself an improved relationship with the West

The USA’s reasons for détente

Détente was initiated by Richard Nixon and his National Security Adviser Henry Kissinger.

Nixon needed to find a way of ending the Vietnam War and he also wanted the US to follow a more realistic foreign policy, which would take account of the changing international situation - the pursuit of realpolitik.

Nixon hoped to use détente to get the USSR and China to put pressure on North Vietnam to end the war and, at the same time, to retain and ‘deepen’ the USA’s global role through negotiations rather than confrontation.

Reasons for PRC-USA rapprochement

China’s relations with the Soviet Union were at a very low point in the late 1960s. China was worried about international isolation and so saw improved relations with the US as a way to prevent this and cause concern in the Soviet Union.

For the USA, an improved relationship with China was part of the new realpolitik approach for foreign policy. Kissinger explained that his aim was to ‘restore fluidity’ to international politics by allowing the USA to deal with China and to move away from its obsession with Vietnam.

Reasons for improved East-West relations in Europe

Event in 1968 had shown political instability in both Eastern and Western Europe with the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia and student riots and strikes in France.

The new Chancellor of West Germany (Willy Brandt) took the lead in trying to improve relations between the 2 Germanys. His policy of encouraging the opening of channels between East and West became known as Ostpolitik.

The Test Ban Treaty

Aims - To ban nuclear weapons test explosions, for both civilian and military purposes, in all environments.

Terms - Signed in 1963, prohibited nuclear weapons testing under water, in the atmosphere, or in outer space.

Impact - Stopped the spread of radioactive nuclear material though atmospheric testing and set a precedent for a new wave off arms control agreements

Success/failures - It achieved its aims however it didn’t ban underground testing

Non - Proliferation Treaty

Aims - Prevent the spread of nuclear weapons technology, to promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and to further the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament.

Terms - Non-nuclear-weapon states parties have committed themselves not to manufacture or acquire nuclear explosive devices while nuclear-weapon states have agreed not to assist, encourage or induce any non-nuclear state to acquire nuclear weapons

Impact - It helped prevent the spread of nuclear weapons.

Successes/Failures - The NPT did not ultimately prevent nuclear proliferation and India, Pakistan and Israel did not sign it. Major success for advocates of arms control as it set a precedent for international cooperation between nuclear and non-nuclear states.

SALT I

1972. The most significant arms control agreement. This treaty agreed in 3 areas:

• The ABM Treaty: ABMs were allowed at only 2 sites, each site containing no more than 100 missiles; was key for ensuring the continued emphasis on MAD.

• The Interim Treaty: Placed limits on the numbers of ICBMs and SLBMs

• The Basic Principles Agreement: Laid down rules for the conduct of nuclear war and development of weapons, and committed the 2 sides to work together to prevent conflict and promote peaceful coexistence.

It reduced tensions between the USSR and USA. However, there were criticism of SALT I for not going far enough in limiting nuclear weapons - did not mention MIRVs.

SALT II

1979. It had agreements on:

• a limit on the number of strategic nuclear delivery vehicles (ICBMs, SLBMs, heavy bombers) for each side.

• a ban on the testing or deployment of new types of ICBMs, heavy mobile ICBMs, and rapid reload systems.

This was the most extensive and complicated arms agreement ever negotiated. However, was still under a lot of criticism

START

Aims - Establish limits on deployed strategic nuclear warheads

Terms - 1991, the treaty provides for 18 on-site inspections per year for US and Russian inspection teams

Impact - Enhanced US national security by placing verifiable limits on all Russian deployed intercontinental - range nuclear weapons.

Successes/Failures - The treaty is considered one of the most successful arms control agreements as by the time of its full implementation 80% of all the world’s strategic nuclear weapons were dismantled.

Agreements between the 2 Germanys and the Soviet Union

• The Moscow Treaty, Aug. 1979: Signed between the Soviet Union, Poland and the Federal Republic of Germany. Recognised the border between East and West Germany and also formally accepted the post-World War 2 border in the East with Poland.

• The Final Quadripartite Protocol, 1972: Major victory for Willy Brandt as it agreed to the maintenance of the ‘status quo’ in Berlin, confirming that the West had a legal basis for its access routes to the city. Therefore, West Berlin had a much greater degree of security

• The Basic Treaty, 1972: Signed by East and West Germany. It accepted the existence of 2 Germanys.

Agreements between the US and China

• The USA dropped its objections to China taking its seat on the Security Council. Mainland China replaced Taiwan

• Trade and travel restrictions between the 2 countries were lifted

• Sporting events between the 2 countries took place

• Nixon visited China - the first american president to do so

détente between the US and China was spurred on by the deterioration of relations between China and the USSR, and it gave the USA more leverage and bargaining power in its arms agreements with the USSR. This became known as the ‘triangular diplomacy’

The Helsinki Agreement

At the Moscow summit of 1972, Nixon agreed to participate in a European Security Conference. This was held in Helsinki in 1973. It was attended by 33 countries and produced a final agreement (The Final Act) in 1975. This took the form of baskets:

• Basket 1 - The security basket. It followed Willy Brandt’s Ostpolitik negotiations with the Soviet Union and recognised that Europe’s frontiers could not be altered by force. Both East and West Germany were now recognised by both sides of the Cold War divide

• Basket 2 - The cooperation basket. It called for closer ties and collaboration in economic, scientific and cultural fields

• Basket 3 - Human rights basket. All of the signatories agreed to respect human rights and individual freedoms, such as freedom of thought, conscience, religion, and freedom of travel.

Brezhnev signed this to get baskets 1 and 2 but was never going to respect basket 3 and he didn’t.

Political factors that undermined détente

Many in the US felt that the arms agreements were benefiting the Soviets (that the USSR was building up a strategic superiority based on its ICBMs) and that SALT I was allowing the USSR to win the Cold War.

Actions in the Middle East and Africa seemed to indicate that the Soviet Union was continuing to expand its influence.

• The Yom Kippur War

• The Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola

• The Soviets and Cubans were also involved in supporting Ethiopia against Somalia in 1977

There was disillusionment over the Soviet Union’s attitude towards the human rights ‘basket’. Under Jimmy Carter the US increasingly tried to link economic deals to improved human rights e.g. allowing new trading agreements only if the Soviet Union would allow Soviet Jews to emigrate.

There were also critics of détente within the USSR. The Soviets were concerned that the US was still supporting anti-Communist governments.

Yom Kippur War

Started in October 1973. The USA suspected that the USSR had known in advance about Egypt’s surprise attack on Israel. Following the agreement in which the USA and USSR promised to inform each other of any conflict that might threaten world peace, it damaged the trust between the 2 countries.

The Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola

The Soviet Union was also involved in the Civil War in Angola, supporting the MPLA with military aid. Soviet aid along with aid given to Cuba, was key to the success of the MPLA.

Economic factors that undermined détente

Détente started to recover economically, however the US economy started to recover in the late 1970s giving the US less incentive to pursue détente.

At the same time, however, the economy of the USSR was experiencing a decline. The inefficiencies of central planning and a rise in interest rates had a disastrous effect on the economy of the Soviet Union. Congress was increasingly linking trade agreements to improved human rights in the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union thus pulled out of trade deals which would have given it the access it needed to US technology.

Why did détente collapse?

It collapsed completely when the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979. For the Americans it seemed to be final proof of the Soviet’s ‘real’ intentions - their determination to spread their influence beyond their borders and be a serious threat to world peace. Carter responded to Soviet actions by refusing to approve SALT II, stopping all electronic exports to the Soviet Union, and forbidding US athletes from participating in the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. He introduced the Carter Doctrine, which committed the US to intervention if the Soviets threatened Western interests in the Persian Gulf.

The Second World War

Ronald Reagan had been elected to power on a wave of anti-Communist feeling and a belief that the USA had to reassert its power in the world.

Reagan put his tough anti-Soviet policy into action in a number of ways:

• Defence spending was increased by 13% in 1982 and over 8% in each of the following 2 years. This was the largest peacetime build-up in US history.

• New nuclear weapons were developed, including the stealth bombers and trident submarine

• A new Strategic Defence Initiative was announced in 1983 (Star Wars).

• The Reagan Doctrine was announced. This gave assistance to anti-Communist insurgent as well as anti-Communist governments.

• The US deployed Intermediate Range Missiles (IRMs) in Western Europe to counter Soviet SS-20s

• Reagan restricted trade with the Soviet Union limiting Soviet access to US technology as well as access to US oil and gas.

• He used aggressive language towards the Soviets, calling them an ‘evil empire’ and ‘the focus of evil in the modern world’

‘Star Wars’

This was a research programme for setting up a space-based laser system that would intercept and strike Soviet missiles. It undermined the whole idea of MAD which had acted as a deterrence against either side using nuclear weapons.